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Glite Dictionary
strong headwind

strong headwind

1 4.2
A strong wind that blows against you and makes moving harder
  • noun
  • /strɔŋ ˈhɛdˌwɪnd/
translation icon : viento en contra fuerte
  • We continue to face strong headwinds originating from the deepening European debt crisis, as well as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
  • a strong headwind
  • facing a strong headwind

Examples

  • As the sailor adjusted the sails, he realized they were confronted by a strong headwind, making it hard to navigate the waters.

  • We need a strong headwind to make the jump!

    Pan (2015)

  • What about a plane in a strong headwind, does it have to move relative to the ground to take off?

    Blog text (1)

  • Overall, the President seems intent on continuing to make progress in the face of strong headwinds against environmental protection.

    Blog text (19)

  • Sometimes you just gotta sigh heavily and piss into a strong headwind.

    Blog text (26)

  • It makes me shiver and there's a strong headwind out there.

  • I've already been able to experiment in the flight simulator with the effects of very strong headwinds to make my Learjet hover over the tarmac or even fly backwards without any engine power.

    Blog text (1)

  • The cyclists struggled against a strong headwind as they attempted to reach the finish line of the race.

  • Despite the strong headwind, the hiker continued to make steady progress up the steep trail.

Synonyms

headwind
vsstrong headwind
18 5.3

A wind that blows against travel and makes moving harder for a plane or cyclist

is stronger and has considerable force that makes progress much harder

Antonyms

tailwind
8 3.5

A wind from behind that helps a vehicle go faster

How Strong

gale
24 5.8
strong headwind
1 4.2
headwind
18 5.3

Surface Forms

strong headwind singular
strong headwinds plural

Morphology

strong + headwind

This is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'strong' simply intensifies the noun 'headwind', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it means a headwind of considerable force that makes progress harder. The construction follows a regular, cross-linguistically common compositional pattern (intensifier + noun), so the meaning is immediately transparent.

Etymology

Strong headwind comes from the image of wind hitting the head or front of a runner, cyclist, or plane as they move forward, pushing back and making it hard to go on. That's why a strong headwind means a powerful wind 'against' your direction that 'slows you down'.